Evening Light on Creede

Memories of Creede’s Mining Past

Big Horn Sheep along the Silver Thread Scenic Byway

We headed out for a week-long jaunt around Southwestern Colorado to revisit some old favorites and spend time in spots we’ve somehow missed over five decades of living in the state.

We made a fairly uninterrupted beeline to our destination of South Fork even though we drove through beautiful mountain scenery worthy of more attention – springtime greens of South Park, 14,000-foot snow-capped peaks, historic mining towns, and rushing rivers.

Bob made friends with a couple of happy bears at the Visitor Center in South Fork.

Arbor House Inn – an exceptional Bed & Breakfast in South Fork, Colorado

Dinner was enjoyed at Ramon’s Mexican Restaurant. Even on a busy Saturday evening the service was excellent and attentive. Our innkeepers recommended the flan for dessert – they knew whereof they spoke. We’ve been flan fans for years and this may have been the best we’ve ever had. Worth the trip all the way from the Denver area.

Relaxation and an amazing evening sky concluded the first day of our trip.

IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO TIP STAFF APPROPRIATELY STAY HOME.

This evening at dinner I was totally disgusted by the actions of two tables near us. Both, in my opinion, stiffed restaurant employees. I really felt anger at both parties but felt that it was inappropriate to insert myself into the situation. Am I right or wrong?

The Restaurant is a long time regional favorite south of Tucson. Menu is Mexican with some unique touches, prices very competitive for the fare and region. The staff is friendly, kind and efficient.

Table one – an elderly couple, simply but nicely dressed, (we may be seniors but I refuse to be classified as elderly – yet) ordered chips and salsa, bowls of the homemade tortilla soup and the restaurant’s signature dessert. The bill must have been between $15 – $20. The man came back to the table and said, “I almost forgot to leave a tip.” I don’t know exactly how much he left but I know that a quarter, a dime and some pennies were involved and not a shred of paper money. The lady who was busing the table asked, “What is this?” His reply, “The tip.” I had watched the waitress’ entire service to this couple, she did absolutely nothing to deserve this treatment.

Table two – two senior ladies, from overheard conversation, they were well educated and traveled. One had greeted an owner by name. There were two musicians playing requests at the tables, quite good and very engaging. The ladies carried on a lengthy conversation, requested a song and, or course, did not tip.

Are people this clueless, rude, disrespectful, thoughtless? In today’s world doesn’t everyone understand that wait staffs are paid far below minimum wage with the expectation that they make up the difference in tips. Musicians moving from table to table taking requests are working for tips. This was not a situation where there was a cover charge. If you are going to take up their time – PAY UP. It is wrong to avail yourself of services you are unwilling to support.

The day in Alamogordo started with dark skies and rain showers. A visit to the New Mexico Museum of Space History seemed a good place to begin. In the Main Exhibits Building visitors start on the fourth floor and work their way down ramps through themed exhibits – Icons of Exploration, Living and Working in Space, Rockets!, Space Science in New Mexico. Woven throughout the exhibits are photos and brief bios on inductees of the International Space Hall of Fame – a trip through the memory bank for those who grew up in the heyday of manned space flight and exploration. I’m sorry to say that I mostly found the exhibits uninspiring and frequently tacky.

We planned to attend a morning Imax feature but found that the show was sold out. A weekday morning in early April didn’t seem like a time likely to fill. We didn’t count on school bus loads of students on field trips. We did choose a planetarium presentation on what one can see in the night sky over Alamogordo this time of year. The school group that attended the show at the same time we did was extremely attentive and well-behaved.

Our best entertainment of the morning was watching museum volunteers being trained to operate a new human gyroscope. Two teenage girls served as guinea pigs to be twirled, flipped and spun while most of us older folks knew this was not anything we wanted to try. I’m sure this will be a very successful attraction.

Note: The theater complex is considerably downhill from the exhibit building. Allow enough time to relocate.

A visit to Alamogordo wouldn’t be complete without a visit to White Sands National Monument, 15 miles west of the city. First stop is the historic visitor center built in the Pueblo Revival style in the 1930s. An orientation film, exhibits, bookstore and information desk provide an overview of the monument and a schedule of ranger activities. The free ranger-guided Sunset Strolls always holds appeal for me.

Across the courtyard of the visitor center there is a gift shop with a selection of souvenirs, plus Native American jewelry, arts and crafts. A few food items, snacks, ice cream bars and soft drinks are also available. There is no water available beyond the visitor center complex, be sure to be prepared.

The most popular gift shop purchase is plastic saucers for sliding down the dunes. Early in the day there may be some available for rent. If you do purchase saucers you can receive a $5 rebate if you want to turn them in after use. I offered to purchase one for Bob but he declined. It is definitely an enticing activity for many visitors.

An eight-mile scenic drive takes visitors deeper into the gypsum dunes. Numerous pullouts allow parking for an up-close encounter with the fine white sand. Picnic tables are sheltered by wind breaks but locals bring their own umbrellas or shade tarps. A ranger tells us. “On Easter this is everyone’s “go-to”. They come early, set up volleyball nets and stay the day.” Overnight camping or RV parking is not allowed at White Sands except for ten backcountry sites requiring permits.

I recommend the 2,000-foot-long Interdune Boardwalk with interpretive signs for a greater appreciation of the formation, flora and fauna of the dunes and interesting photography opportunities.

Nearly everyone has to charge up at least one slope – usually with a bit of backsliding.